speak up for libraries: influencing council decision makers councillor alan waters
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Speak up for Libraries:Influencing council decision makers
Councillor Alan Waters.
Financial Context
Headline reduction of 7.1% of formula grant funding per annum over four years
The funding reduction is “front loaded” for local councils, flat for police authorities and “back loaded” for fire
authorities
Major changes in funding mechanisms from 1 April 2013
Every council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy will include the need to make significant savings
Further cuts of c. 7% to be announced in the Autumn Statement
The Pickles Plan
Reason for the frontloaded cuts
It is important that local government restructure its administration and its services, and the only real way to do that is to start the process early on’
Eric Pickles – CLG Select Committee 2010
Councils should be ‘commissioners’ not ‘providers’ of services.
The Localism Act
The Localism Act
• Community Right to Challenge – bidding to run council services
• Community Right to Bid – taking over assets of ‘community value’
‘Your Community Rights’:
Community Rights: CRTC
“It enables communities to challenge to take over local service that they think
they can run differently and better. The Right to Challenge could be used to run
a wide range of local services”. (Your Community Rights)
DCLG Consultation February 2011
Community Right to Challenge: ability to protect public services?
Local authority must accept or reject an ‘expression of interest’ and give grounds for
doing so.
Local authority in coming to a judgement must
“ consider how it might promote or improve the
social economic or environmental well-being of
the authority’s area” -Section 83 (8) of the Act.
Understand your Council
There is a need to understand how your Council operates..
They are not all the same
There are different ways of looking at this question
Whether friendly and receptive or not knowing how they operate and what makes them tick is really important
Local Authorities
What are there constitutional arrangements?
What is the Political composition? Are they politically vulnerable?
Informal arrangements and culture
Scrutiny arrangements
Public interface arrangements
Constitutional arrangements
Committee systemElected Mayor, Leader and Cabinet (who selects
the Cabinet)In all Councils Audit and Regulatory Committees
are committees of the Council Levels of Delegation. Single Member Decision
making powers. Officer delegationsDefinition of Key decisions (will be found in their
constitution
Political Composition
Majority Party Control
Minority Party Control
Coalition arrangements
Balance of Political Groups
Next Election (1/3rds of All out
Electoral Vulnerability
Is majority group cohesive or divided?
Informal/Non Constitutional Considerations
Member led or Officer LedStrong or weak leader
Strong or weak Executive/CabinetAdvisory Committees?
Significance of Party GroupsReactive or Proactive
Strategy Led or Policy ledTimid or Adventurous
Role of Scrutiny
Strong or marginalised
Active in Pre Decision scrutiny?
Active in Post Decision Scrutiny
Call in Procedures
Is Call in effective in changing decisions
Public Interface
Deputations and Petitions and arrangements to receive
Public question opportunities?
Public speaking to agenda items
Consultation events
Levels of decision taking
How high or low?
Nothing happens without the authority of the Chief Executive/Leader
OR
Many key decisions are taken well down the ‘food chain’ without reference ‘upstairs’
Climate and culture of delegation and effective decision making
Corporate or Departmentalist
• Some Councils in reality resemble 3, 4 or more different Councils
• Others are very corporate in their make up, composition and culture
• The role of the Chief Officers Group may be critical
Working with Formal Structures(1)
Making Use of scrutiny
Presenting evidence to review groups
Using call in procedures
Some Councils allow electors to call in decisions or it may have to be via a member or a number
of members.
Matter of days after a decision. Check constitution
Working with Formal Structures(2)
Petitions and Deputations and Committee and Council Meetings
Most Councils have facilities to receive and hear petitions and deputations
Public question opportunities. Speaking rights on agenda items
Make use of these very public forums
Working with Formal Structures (3)
The Media
Some Councils are extremely sensitive to articles and letters in the local media
The letters page is the most widely read page of local newspapers
Not forgetting local broadcast media
Working with Formal Structures (4)
Meeting Key Decision Makers
Leaders rarely turn down a request for a meeting.
Cabinet Portfolio holders
Officers more likely to refer you to formal mechanisms
Working with Formal Structures (5)
Keep abreast of decisions and strategies as they are developing/made
Know and understand the role of the Forward Plan
Research and be proactive
Many Councils are struggling and actually searching for solutions to problems
All elected members play a role –The ruling group or coalition on the council
Cabinet membersThe opposition groups on the council
Scrutiny membersWard Councillors
Corporate Plan and Budget has to be agreed by the full council.
Understanding the policy making and budget setting cycle.
Making decisions
Crucial to have high quality – quantitative and qualitative information to inform the political priorities of the
council
The Financial Management Process
Objectives
The Corporate Plan
Service Plans
Performance Review
Financial Planning
The MTFS
The Annual Budget
Budgetary Control
The Financial Management Process
Objectives
The Corporate Plan
Service Plans
Performance Review
Financial Planning
The MTFS
The Annual Budget
Budgetary Control
Relating to the Budget ProcessAndrew Coulson 2005
April/May
June/July
September/October
October/November
November
December
January – February
March
Initial Projections
Review Baseline Budget –In Strategic Context
Identify known Pressures
Capital Programme, IncludingPrudential borrowing
Identification of Savings,Efficiency Measures, and Alternatives
Budget agreed by Council
Government Settlement
Budget formulated
Councillors
Other than elected mayors, all Councillors represent a particular ward.
Map your membership to Wards and Cllrs
Most Cllrs will have Ward surgeries. Often Drop in arrangements
All are subject to election every four years
Sensitive to their own electorates
Make use of your role as electors
In Conclusion
Councils are there to be influenced
They are democratic bodies often highly sensitive to opinion
Many have elections every year
Your campaign members will have electoral power
You need to know and understand the Council, its personalities and its structures
Make use of opportunities
In the end personal dynamics are often the key